High efficiency scalable structure

ABSTRACT

A building may include a floor, a dome having a vent, and an internal ceiling that divides areas underneath the dome into first and second chambers. The internal ceiling may have an aperture that is structured to allow air to pass from the first chamber into the second chamber. The building may also include an air inlet configured to allow air to travel from outside the building into the first chamber and an air moving device that is configured to facilitate the movement of the air. The building may also include an air cooling element that is configured to cool the air as it travels from outside the building into the first chamber.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/232,597, which is a 371 of International Application No.PCT/US/2012/046641, filed 13 Jul. 2012, which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application 61/507,521, filed 13 Jul. 2011, thecontents of which are incorporated by reference herein in theirentirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention generally relates to the field of buildings and, moreparticularly, to data centers or other structures configured to houseelectrical devices and equipment.

BACKGROUND

Modern data centers tend to face a variety of issues such as the need tomeet or exceed high equipment density power and cooling requirements,particularly with the industry-wide desire to approach a powerutilization efficiency (PUE) rating of 1.0. Data center equipmentgenerally performs best with a relatively static ambient temperature tomaximize efficiency and life expectancy. However, typical data centerheating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems require agreat amount of power and, consequently, pose significant operatingcosts, particularly with respect to operation and maintenance of theHVAC equipment. Furthermore, modern data centers are often negativelyaffected by environmental conditions such as unfavorable weatherpatterns and certain acts of nature, notably earthquakes, that candestroy part or all of the data center. Even if the physical damagebrought on by such an event is limited, it can still have a widespreadnegative impact on the equipment housed within the data center.

Embodiments of the disclosed technology address these and otherlimitations and deficiencies in the prior art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of a first example of a building inaccordance with certain embodiments of the disclosed technology.

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of a second example of a building inaccordance with certain embodiments of the disclosed technology.

FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of a third example of a building inaccordance with certain embodiments of the disclosed technology.

FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of a first example of a data center inaccordance with certain embodiments of the disclosed technology.

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of the data center illustrated inFIG. 4 in accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosedtechnology.

FIG. 6A illustrates an example of a data center equipment room having acontrollable curtain that is completely closed in accordance withcertain embodiments of the disclosed technology.

FIG. 6B illustrates an example of a data center equipment room having acontrollable curtain that is partially open in accordance with certainembodiments of the disclosed technology.

FIG. 6C illustrates an example of a data center equipment room having acontrollable curtain that is fully open in accordance with certainembodiments of the disclosed technology.

FIG. 7 illustrates a first example of a method of maintaining atemperature in a structure in accordance with certain embodiments of thedisclosed technology.

FIG. 8 illustrates a side view of another example of a data center inaccordance with certain embodiments of the disclosed technology.

FIG. 9 illustrates a perspective view of the data center illustrated inFIG. 8 in accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosedtechnology.

FIG. 10 illustrates a top view of the data center illustrated in FIG. 8in accordance with certain embodiments of the disclosed technology.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the disclosed technology are directed toward buildingsand structures that may be suitable for use as data centers, forexample. Certain embodiments may provide free air structures that aresubstantially passively cooled and eliminate the need for traditionalheating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Consequently,such structures may significantly reduce or completely eliminate themassive power consumption and operating costs associated with typicalHVAC systems.

In certain implementations, the buildings and structures may be readilyscalable in that sub-portions of the structures may be added, removed,and modified. For example, one or more individual equipment rooms may bearranged within the structure to suit initial and modified requirementswith respect to network fiber and electrical or data cable routingissues. Segregation of data center equipment may effectively mitigateheat, power, and security interactions therebetween.

In certain embodiments, portions of or even the entire structure are atleast substantially subterranean. Thermal coupling of the structure withthe ground may provide more effective and efficient regulation of theinternal temperatures of the structure, sub-structures, and equipmenttherein. For example, the structure may be situated in a geographiclocation where the below-ground average temperature is approximately50-55 degrees year-round to help maintain an ambient static temperaturethat is close to or even substantially equal to that of the ground.

Further, such structures may provide additional protection for equipmentand personnel therein against exposures from regional disasters such asearthquakes and volcanic ash fallout. For example, in situations wherethe structure is at least substantially below grade, the structure maybe further protected from above-ground harmonic shaking that istypically generated by earthquakes. Further, implementations including ahub-and-spoke arrangement, such as the data center illustrated in FIGS.4 and 5 and described below, may provide a greater ability to withstandpressures generated by earthquakes.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of a first example of a building 100having a floor 102 and a dome 112. The floor 102 may be substantiallysubterranean, i.e., situated at least substantially below ground level.In the example, the floor 102 is situated completely below ground level130. In certain embodiments, the floor 102 is situated at leastapproximately 10 feet below surface grade. The floor 102 may beconstructed of a material that has a particular thermal transfercoefficient. For example, the floor 102 may be formed at leastsubstantially from concrete. In certain embodiments, the floor 102 is aconcrete slab platform having a generally circular shape with a diameterof at least approximately 110 feet and a thickness of at leastapproximately 12 inches.

In the example, the building 100 has an internal ceiling 108 thatsubstantially divides areas underneath the dome 112 into a first chamber116 and a second chamber 118. The internal ceiling 108 also includes anaperture 110 that is formed therethrough and provides a passageway forair to travel between the first chamber 116 and the second chamber 118.

In the example, the first chamber 116 is defined substantially betweenthe floor 102 and the internal ceiling 108. In the example, the firstchamber 116 is defined by the floor 102, the internal ceiling 108, andan outer wall 104 that is at least approximately circular in shape.Accordingly, the first chamber 116 is at least approximately circular inshape, having a diameter defined by the outer wall 104.

An air inlet 106 is disposed at least substantially in the first chamber116 and is configured to allow air to travel from outside the building100 into the first chamber 116, as indicated by 122. In the example, theair inlet 106 is defined by the outer wall 104. In other embodiments,the air inlet 106 may be formed at least substantially separately fromthe outer wall 104.

The air inlet 106 may include an air filter to remove particles orcontaminants from the air as it travels therethrough, for example.Alternatively or in addition thereto, a biofilter (not shown) may besituated at least substantially proximate the air inlet 106 andstructured to perform a biofilter function on the air as it travelstherethrough. The biofilter may include virtually any type of biofiltersuch as natural vegetation planted and cultivated in the ground 130 atleast substantially proximate to the air inlet 106, for example.

Any number of air inlets 106 may be used to facilitate the travel of airfrom outside the building 100 into the first chamber 116. In certainembodiments where there are multiple air inlets 106, some or all of theair inlets 106 may be controllable such that not all of the air inlets106 are in an open position at the same time, for example. Further, theair inlets 106 may each have multiple positions such that each of theair inlets 106 may be only partially opened. In certain situations,e.g., where contaminated air is present, it may be desirable totemporarily curb or prevent airflow through some or all of the airinlets 106.

In the example, the second chamber 118 is defined substantially betweenthe internal ceiling 108 and the dome 112. As noted above, the internalceiling 108 has an aperture 110 that is formed therein and provides apassageway for air to move between the first chamber 116 and the secondchamber 118. Consequently, the internal ceiling 108 is structured toallow air to pass therethrough, as indicated by 124.

There is virtually no limit to the number of apertures 110 that may beformed in the internal ceiling 108 to provide passageway for air totravel from the first chamber 116 to the second chamber 118 or viceversa. In certain embodiments where there are multiple apertures 110,some or all of the apertures 110 may be controllable such that not allof the apertures 110 need be open at the same time or to the sameextent, for example.

The dome 112 may be constructed of a sturdy yet relatively lightweightmaterial. For example, the dome 112 may be formed at least substantiallyfrom aluminum. In certain embodiments, the dome 112 has a base diameterof at least approximately 110 feet. In certain embodiments, the dome 112is at least partially supported directly by the floor 102. Alternativelyor in addition thereto, the dome 112 may be supported by supportingstructures, such as beams, that are integrated with or disposed at leastsubstantially adjacent to the internal ceiling 108.

In the example, the dome 112 has a single vent 120. However, the numberand arrangement of vents within the dome 112 are virtually unlimited.For example, the dome 112 may have a certain number of vents such thatthe total surface area provided by the vents for passage therethrough,e.g., 1,500 square feet, is at least substantially equal to the totalsurface area provided by the air inlets 106 for passage therethrough. Inthis manner, a parametric ratio may be established.

In certain embodiments, the total surface area provided by the vent(s)of the dome 112 for passage therethrough is greater than or at leastsubstantially equal to the total surface area provided by theaperture(s) 110 for passage therethrough. Such embodiments may alsoprovide that the total surface area provided by the aperture(s) 110 isgreater than or at least substantially equal to total surface areaprovided by the air inlets 106 for passage therethrough. One or moreparametric ratios, e.g., between the vent(s) and the aperture(s), may beestablished in these embodiments.

In the example, the building 100 further includes at least one airmoving device 132 that is configured to facilitate movement of air fromoutside the building 100 through the first and second chambers 116 and118, and out through the vent 120 of the dome 112, as indicated by 122,124, and 126, respectively. In the example, the air moving device 132 isa single boost fan or other comparable device that is at leastsubstantially disposed at the vent 120 of the dome 112. In otherembodiments, the air moving device 132 may be positioned elsewherewithin the building 100. The air moving device 132 may include multipleindividual devices, sub-devices, or components each situated at aparticular position within the building 100. For example, the air movingdevice 132 may include one or more fans situated within either or bothof the first and second chambers 116 and 118.

The air moving device 132 may be controllable such that different statesof the air moving device 132 may impact the overall flow of air throughthe building 100. For example, the air moving device 132 may include oneor more fans having adjustable speeds such that a higher the fan speedwould result in a higher air flow rate throughout the building 100.

In certain embodiments, the building 100 includes an air coolingelement, described below, that is disposed substantially at the airinlet 106 and is configured to cool the air as it travels from outsidethe building into the first chamber, as indicated by 122. The aircooling element may be an evaporative cooling device or a devicestructured to cool air by a ground coupling effect, other comparabledevice, or a combination of any of these devices, for example.

In the example, the building 100 includes an equipment room 128 that isconfigured to house one or more electronic devices such as servers orother equipment that is generally used in connection with data centers.In certain embodiments, the floor 102 provides the floor of theequipment room 128. Alternatively, the equipment room 128 may have itsown floor that is at least substantially adjacent to the floor 102. Forexample, the equipment room 128 may have a floor raised from the floor102 surface. The internal ceiling 108 may provide the ceiling of theequipment room 128. Alternatively, the equipment room 128 may have itsown separate ceiling that is at least substantially adjacent to theinternal ceiling 108.

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of a second example of a building 200.The building 200 is substantially similar to the building 100 of FIG. 1in that the building 200 has a floor 102 and a dome 112, an internalceiling 108 that substantially divides areas underneath the dome 112into a first chamber 116 and a second chamber 118, wherein the firstchamber 116 is also defined by an outer wall 104.

Similar to the building 100 of FIG. 1, the building 200 of FIG. 2 alsohas an aperture 110 that is formed in the internal ceiling 108 and anair inlet 106 that is defined by the outer wall 104. Further, air isallowed to move from outside the building 200 into the first chamber 116by way of the air inlet 106 defined by the outer wall 104, as indicatedby 122.

In the example, however, the equipment room 128 of the building 200 issituated beneath the aperture 110 formed in the internal ceiling 108such that the air that travels from the first chamber 116 to the secondchamber 118, as indicated by 124, must pass through the equipment room128. Further, the air moving device 132 is situated within the equipmentroom 128.

In certain embodiments, the floor 102 is configured to support one ormore electronic devices within the equipment room 128 such as a serverrack or other equipment that might be used in connection with a datacenter, for example. In these embodiments, the air moving device 132 mayinclude a fan situated within the equipment room 128 and structured todraw air from the first chamber 116 and direct the air into the secondchamber 118, as indicated by 124. The fan may be a fan implementedwithin or in connection with one or more of the electronic devices inthe equipment room 128.

FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of a third example of a building 300having a floor 302 and a dome 312 having a vent 320. The building 300also has an internal ceiling 308 that substantially divides the areabeneath the dome 312 into a first chamber 316 and a second chamber 318.An air inlet 306 is configured to allow air to pass from outside thebuilding 300 into an air cooling element, as indicated by 322.

In the example, the air cooling element includes an earth coolingchamber 350 that is situated proximate the air inlet 306 and the firstchamber 316. As used herein, the term earth cooling chamber or labyrinthrefers to a structure that is situated at least partially underground,e.g., below the ground surface level, and is configured to allow air totravel from outside the building 300 through the earth cooling chamber350 and into the first chamber 316. The earth cooling chamber 350 isalso configured to cool the air or allow the air to be cooled as ittravels therethrough.

In the example, the earth cooling chamber 350 is at least substantiallycircular in shape when viewed from the top and primarily includes asubstantially vertical chamber 354 through which air passes between theair inlet 306 and an exit 307 into the first chamber 316, as indicatedby 323. The earth cooling chamber 350 includes and is substantiallydefined by at least two ground soil-adjacent walls: an outer wall 356and an inner wall 358. In certain embodiments, at least one of the twowalls 356 and 358 of the earth cooling chamber 350 is a thermal couplingmedium between air in the earth cooling chamber 350 and ground soil 370.The walls 356 and 358 may be constructed of sheet piling, heavy gaugemetal, or other material suitable to be driven into the ground duringconstruction of the earth cooling chamber 350.

A separating portion 352, such as a blocking wall that includes apartial wall or full wall with an opening or passageway therein, isdisposed between the two walls 356 and 358 and substantially divides thevertical chamber 354 into an outer chamber 354 a and an inner chamber354 b. Consequently, air traveling to the first chamber 316 from outsidethe building 300 first passes through the outer chamber 354 a and thenthe inner chamber 354 b.

In certain embodiments, one or more thermally conductive structures suchas thermal fins may be coupled to at least one of the groundsoil-adjacent walls 356 and 358. Such thermal fins may be constructed ofsheet metal or other suitable material. In the example, two thermal fins360 and 362 are shown as being optionally coupled to the inner wall 358.However, there is virtually no limit to the number, arrangement, ororientation of such thermally conductive structures used in connectionwith embodiments of the disclosed technology. For example, otherthermally conductive structures may be coupled to the outer wall 356,alternatively or in addition to the thermal fins 360 and 362 beingcoupled to the inner wall 358. Also, one or more of the thermal fins 360and 362 may be oriented in a horizontal manner instead of a verticalmanner as illustrated in the figure. Further, some or all of the thermalfins 360 and 362 may extend further into the ground than indicated inthe illustration.

In the example, three equipment rooms 328, 330, and 332 are situatedwithin the first chamber 316 such that the top of each room protrudesthrough the internal ceiling 308 into the second chamber 318. Theequipment rooms 328, 330, and 332 are each configured to allow airtherethrough into the second chamber 318, as indicated by 324. Incertain embodiments, electronic devices within one or more of theequipment rooms 328, 330, and 332, e.g., servers, may have fans that arestructured to draw air from the first chamber 316 and direct the airthrough the electronic devices into the second chamber 318, as indicatedby 324. In this way, the electronic devices in the equipment rooms 328,330, and 332 are cooled by the air passing through or across them.

In certain embodiments, less than all of the equipment rooms 328, 330,and 332 allow air to travel therethrough. For example, one or more ofthe equipment rooms 328, 330, and 332 may have shutters or blinds orother comparable mechanism for temporarily or permanently preventing airflow therethrough. Alternatively or in addition thereto, the internalceiling 308 may have an aperture, e.g., similar to aperture 110 in FIGS.1 and 2, configured to allow air to travel from the first chamber 316 tothe second chamber 318 therethrough.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate top and perspective views, respectively, of afirst example of a data center 400 that has a substantially undergroundbase, a dome 412, an internal ceiling 408, and multiple equipment rooms480-490. In the example, the data center 400 is substantially circularin shape and may have a diameter of 50-130′, for example. The internalceiling may be above ground level 430 such that each of the equipmentrooms 480-490 may be only partially subterranean, as described below. Incertain embodiments, the data center 400 may allow for a total air flowbetween 50-1,000,000 cubic feet per minute (CFM), and preferably up to400,000 CFM.

In the example, the base of the data center 400 includes a slab portion402 that, in certain embodiments, may be formed from reinforced concreteand have a substantially circular shape with a diameter of 110′ and athickness of 12″. The base also includes multiple substantially annularrings including an outer ring 472, an intermediate ring 473, and aninner ring 474. The annular rings 472-474 form an outer air chamber 476between the outer ring 472 and the intermediate ring 473 and an innerair chamber 477 between the intermediate ring 473 and the inner ring474.

In certain embodiments, each of the annular rings 472-474 may beconcrete or metal walls having a height of 35′ and terminating at theirbase with 24″ footings. In embodiments where the slab portion 402 is atleast substantially 10′ below ground level 430, the annular rings472-474 may extend an additional 25′ below the slab portion 402. Therings 472-474 effectively form a ground-coupled vertical labyrinth heatexchanger for cooling air as is passes through the outer and inner airchambers 476 and 477 from outside the data center 400.

Air inlets 406, intermediate openings 478, and internal outlets 407 mayfacilitate air flow through the outer and inner chambers 476 and 477.The air inlets 406, intermediate openings 478, and internal outlets 407may have the same height and width between 1′ and 8′, for example, andpreferably approximately 3-5′, to balance air flow therethrough. Aparametric ratio may be maintained by ensuring that the total surfacearea provided by the air inlets 406 for passage therethrough iscomparable to both the total surface area provided by the intermediateopenings 478 and the total surface area provided by the internal outlets407. In the example, each of the air inlets 406, intermediate openings478, and internal outlets 407 include a series of equally-spaced windowsbut there is a wide variety of options available in designing the airinlets 406, intermediate openings 478, and internal outlets 407.

In certain embodiments, the air inlets 406, intermediate openings 478,and internal outlets 407 may be used by a person to access the internalportions of the data center 400. For example, a ladder (not shown) maybe coupled with the outer ring 472 such that a person may enter theinternal portion of the data center 400 through one of the air inlets406 and climb down the ladder. The person may then pass through one ofthe intermediate openings 478. A separate ladder 480 may be coupled withthe internal ring 474 such that the person may climb up the separateladder 480 and then through one of the internal outlets 407. Any of anumber of protocols may be established for people entering the datacenter 400 from outside the buildling.

Air filters may be implemented in connection with any or all of the airinlets 406, intermediate openings 478, and internal outlets 407. Forexample, any number of the air inlets 406, intermediate openings 478,and internal outlets 407 may be configured to support mesh stainlesssteel baskets. Such baskets may have a thickness of approximately 6″-12″and may be cleaned periodically or on an as-needed basis.

A spraying mechanism 495 may be implemented in connection with thefilters. For example, a pipe having spray nozzles may be situated abovethe filters to periodically wash them down to remove dirt and debris byspraying water on them. Alternatively or in addition thereto, thespraying mechanism 495 may be used as an evaporative cooling mechanismto cool air as it travels through the air inlets 406 from outside thedata center 400. For example, the evaporative cooling mechanism may beactivated periodically or during particular occasions, e.g., onexceptionally hot days. The spraying mechanism may also be used to watera biofilter 496 that includes certain low-growing vegetation plantedadjacent the air inlets 406.

In the example, the equipment rooms 480-490 are positioned on the slabportion 402 and at least substantially under the dome 412. The internalceiling 408 may be positioned at least substantially 10′ above the slabportion 402 and may include beams 409 configured to effectively definethe shape of the internal ceiling 408 and also to at least substantiallysupport the dome 412. The equipment rooms 480-490, the internal ceiling408, and the slab portion 402, substantially form together an airchamber configured to receive air from outside the data center 400 byway of the substantially annular rings 472-474.

At least one of the equipment rooms 480-490 may be configured to houseone or more electronic devices, e.g., servers and/or switching or otherdata equipment and, consequently, may be referred to as mini-datacenters. In the example, one of the equipment rooms 489 houses a numberof servers 492. In certain embodiments, more than one of the rooms480-490 each house electronic devices such as servers and, in thesesituations, the devices may be distributed among the equipment rooms tosatisfy any of a number of requirements such as per-room powerconsumption or temperature balancing within the data center 400.

In certain embodiments, at least one of the equipment rooms 480-490includes an adjustable curtain or louver mechanism configured to controla flow of air through the corresponding equipment room. For example, thecurtain in each of the rooms 480-490 may be adjusted at the same rate orlevel to distribute the effects of changing the airflow through the datacenter 400. Alternatively, the curtains in only some of the rooms480-490 may be so adjusted. In yet further embodiments, the curtains insome or all of the rooms 480-490 may be individually adjusted, e.g., atdifferent rates and/or levels.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of an equipment room 600 having acontrollable curtain 602. A servo mechanism may be used to slidinglymove the curtain 602 from a first position to any of a number of otherpositions, for example. In FIG. 6A, the curtain 602 is completelyclosed. As a result, cooling air is completely blocked from entering theequipment room 600, as indicated by 610. In FIG. 6B, the curtain 602 ispartially open such that cooling air may enter the equipment room 600,as indicated by 620. In FIG. 6C, the curtain 602 is fully open such thatall of the available cooling air may enter the equipment room 600 at agreater flow rate, as indicated by 630.

Returning to the example illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, one of equipmentrooms (490) is a central equipment room that is substantially centeredbetween the rest of the equipment rooms (480-489) resulting in asubstantially hub-and-spoke-type arrangement. In other embodiments, thecentral equipment room may not be substantially centered between theother equipment rooms. For example, there may be only ten equipmentrooms in total, one of which serves as the central equipment room. Inyet other embodiments, there may not even be a central equipment room.

The central equipment room 490 may be at least substantially circular inshape and have a diameter of 30′ and a height of 20′. In certainembodiments, the central equipment room 490 may have an inner core 491that is substantially hollow and concentric and has a diameter ofapproximately 10′. The inner core 491 may provide termination points forincoming power, fiber optics, and copper wire circuits. A door may beprovided to allow a person to access the inner core 491.

In the example, all of the non-central equipment rooms 480-489 have anisosceles-trapezoid-shaped perimeter. In certain embodiments, each ofthe non-central equipment rooms 480-489 may have a height of 20′, alength of 15′, a width of 7′ at the narrow end, and a width of 15′ atthe wider end. Each of the rooms 480-489 may house 14 equipment racks,two redundant power distribution transformers, and two redundantthree-phase power distribution track busses. The equipment roomperimeter shape is a design choice, of course, but a trapezoid is aparticularly effective use of space for a round building having a numberof equipment rooms. Other room shapes are possible without deviatingfrom the inventive concepts described herein.

Rack doors may be used as air intake grills for the corresponding room.False wall panels 493 may be used to replace rack doors when thecorresponding racks are removed. For example, the false wall panels 493may have the same size as the rack doors and positioned slidingly abovethe rack doors so that, each time a rack is removed, the correspondingfalse wall panel may be slid down to effectively take the place of therack door that is no longer there to server as an air intake grill.

The central equipment room 490 may have a diameter of 10-50′, andpreferably 30′, and serve as the entrance terminal for power and datacircuits. The room 490 may house power circuits and fiber and copperdata circuits as well as network distribution switch gear. An electricalconnection such as a power supply and a data connection, for example,may be established between the central equipment room 490 and at leastone of the other equipment rooms 480-489. The connection may be housedby a cable distribution tray 415 configured to both support and protectthe connection.

Any or all of the equipment rooms 480-490 in the data center 400 may actas convection chimneys. In the example, one of the rooms 489 has anexhauster louver 413 through which air may pass while traveling betweenthe first and second chambers. Any or all of the other equipment rooms480-488 and 490 may have a louver that is similar to or perhaps of adifferent type than the illustrated louver 413.

Any or all of the equipment rooms 480-490 may have shutters such asthermostatically-controlled rollable shutters, for example. In certainembodiments, a shutter moving mechanism may include, for example, alogic-directed servo drive to open or close any or all of the shutterswhen certain conditions occur. For example, many or all of the shuttersmay be closed during hot weather so that air internal to the data center400 may be exhausted through the dome 412. The shutters may be partiallyopen during cold weather and shutters or other comparable mechanism inthe internal ceiling 408 may be partially closed to reclaim warmre-circulated air that is used to heat the data center 400. In certainsituations, such as a fire, the shutter moving mechanism mayautomatically close all of the shutters.

The dome 412 includes one or more air exhaust vents configured to allowair to pass from the second chamber to outside the data center 400. Incertain embodiments, the air exhaust vents may be adjustable. Forexample, one or more of the air exhaust vents may be manually orautomatically controlled to adjust the amount of air flow through thecorresponding air exhaust vent for any of a number of different factorssuch as time of day or environmental conditions, e.g., externaltemperature or humidity. A solar power array may be mounted on the dome412 to provide renewable energy for ancillary usage such as internalillumination or powering the shutter moving mechanism described above.

Emergency generators and uninterruptible power supplies may providepower for the data center 400 by way of a surface-level connectionbetween the generator structure and any or all of the equipment rooms480-490. In certain embodiments, emergency power may be available to thecentral equipment room 490 from, for example, redundant flywheeluninterruptible power supplies and distributed to one or more of theother rooms 480-489. In these embodiments, the power may be stepped downand delivered to the other rooms 480-489 by way of a track busway systemsuch as the 400-amp Starline Track Busway system by Universal Electric

Corporation.

In certain embodiments, internal lighting for the data center 400 may beprovided by way of low-energy LED lighting systems. Security monitoringmay be provided by way of multiple networked cameras positioned aroundand within the data center 400. Such monitoring may be viewed andrecorded on-site, remotely, or both. Electronic keycard access andbiometric scanning may also be implemented to provide additionalsecurity for the data center 400.

An entrance (not shown) to the data center 400 may include a ramp thattransitions from ground level 430 to the slab portion 402, e.g., 10′below grade. The ramp may be formed substantially from concrete and maybe integrated into the structure of the data center 400. The ramp mayalso include a loading dock for equipment delivery, for example. One ormore of the equipment rooms 480-490 may have a door through which aperson may enter the room. The door(s) may be protected by any of anumber of security measures.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a method 700 of maintaining atemperature in a structure, although many variations are possible. At702, air is drawn from outside a building or structure into the buildingor structure through an air cooling device. In certain embodiments, theair cooling device may include a vertical labyrinth or earth coolingchamber that applies a thermal exchange process to the air as it travelsthrough the vertical labyrinth. The vertical labyrinth may be at leastsubstantially subterranean. In other embodiments, the air cooling devicemay include an evaporative cooling processor. In yet other embodiments,the air cooling device may include both a vertical labyrinth and anevaporative cooling processor proximate the vertical labyrinth.

In certain embodiments, the air may be filtered as it enters the aircooling device. Alternatively or in addition thereto, a biofilterprocess may be applied to the air prior to the air entering the aircooling device. For example, vegetation may be planted adjacent orotherwise near the location where the outside air is initially drawninto the building or structure.

At 704, the air drawn in from the air cooling device is drawn into anequipment room having air inputs that open to a first building chamber.The equipment room may be configured to house one or more electronicdevices, e.g., servers.

At 706, the air is exhausted through an aperture in an internal ceilingof the first building chamber into a second building chamber. In certainembodiments, an air moving device may assist in the exhausting of theair into the second building chamber. In embodiments where the equipmentroom is housing one or more electronic devices, a fan or fans in theelectronic device or devices may function as the air moving device.

At 708, the air in the second building chamber is exhausted from thesecond building chamber through a vent in a domed roof. In certainembodiments, the vent may be controllable to adjust the flow rate of theair moving therethrough. Alternatively or in addition thereto, an airmoving device such as a fan may be positioned at or near the vent in thedomed roof. In other embodiments, the air moving device may bepositioned elsewhere within the building. In certain embodiments, theair moving device may include one or more fans disposed in connectionwith one or more electronic devices housed within the building.

FIGS. 8, 9, and 10 illustrate side, perspective, and top views,respectively, of another example of a data center 800 that is similar tothe data center 400 illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. The data center 800 ofFIGS. 8-10 has a substantially underground base 802, a dome 812, aninternal ceiling 808, and multiple equipment rooms 828-834. Unlike thedata center 400 of FIGS. 4 and 5, however, the internal ceiling 808 ofthe data center 800 of FIGS. 8-10 shares substantially the same plane asthe top surfaces of each of the equipment rooms 828-834. Indeed, theinternal ceiling 808 may function as the ceiling of one or more of theequipment rooms 828-834.

In the example, air may travel from outside the data center 800 throughair inlets 806 into a cooling chamber 850, as shown by 822. The air maypass through an outer chamber 854 a of the cooling chamber 850 into aninner chamber 854 b by way of one or more intermediate openings 853 in aseparating wall 852 that, along with outer and inner walls 856 and 858,respectively, define the outer and inner chambers 854 a and 854 b.

One or more thermally conductive structures such as thermal fins 855 maybe used to aid in the cooling of the air as it passes through thecooling chamber 850 into a first chamber 816 by way of an inner opening807, as shown by 823. The thermal fins 855 may provide turbulence forair as it passes through the cooling chamber 850 and may also be used toenhance a thermal transfer from the air to the ground 870. Internalthermally conductive structures, such as the thermal fins 855 of FIGS.8-10, may be used in place of or in addition to external thermallyconductive structures, such as the thermal fins 360 and 362 illustratedin FIG. 3.

Corridors 875 between the equipment rooms 828-834 allow for ease ofequipment maneuvering and may also serve to maintain cubic flow in thefirst chamber 816. In the example, the air may pass from the firstchamber 816 into a second chamber 818 by way of one or more internalopenings 825 in each of the equipment rooms 828-834, as shown by 824.The openings 825 may be louver mechanisms or similar devices that may bemanually or automatically controlled, individually or otherwise. Incertain embodiments, one or more of the equipment rooms 828-834 mayinclude an upblast fan (not shown) for additional assistance with airmovement therethrough.

The air may leave the data center 800 from the second chamber 818 by wayof multiple vents 813 coupled with the dome 812. The vents 813 may begravity vents or comparable devices, for example. In certainembodiments, each vent 813 may provide an opening of approximately 2square feet. Such embodiments may include approximately 750 vents 813 toprovide a total opening size of approximately 1,500 square feet.

In certain embodiments, the total size of the openings provided by thevents 813 may be at least substantially similar to one or more of thetotal size of the openings provided by the internal openings 825, thetotal size of the openings provided by the inner openings 807, the totalsize of the openings provided by the intermediate openings 853, and thetotal size of the openings provided by the air inlets 806. Inalternative embodiments, the total size of the openings provided by eachsuccessive stage may increase or decrease.

Having described and illustrated the principles of the invention withreference to illustrated embodiments, it will be recognized that theillustrated embodiments may be modified in arrangement and detailwithout departing from such principles, and may be combined in anydesired manner Further, although the foregoing discussion has focused onparticular embodiments, other configurations are contemplated. Inparticular, even though expressions such as “according to an embodiment”or the like are used herein, these phrases are meant to generallyreference embodiment possibilities and are not intended to limit theinvention to particular embodiment configurations. As used herein, theseterms may reference the same or different embodiments that arecombinable into other embodiments.

Consequently, in view of the wide variety of permutations to theembodiments described herein, this detailed description and accompanyingmaterial is intended to be illustrative only and should not be taken aslimiting the scope of the invention. What is claimed as the invention,therefore, is all such modifications as may come within the scope andspirit of the following claims and equivalents thereto.

What is claimed is:
 1. A building, comprising: a floor; a dome having avent; an internal ceiling substantially dividing areas underneath thedome into a first chamber substantially between the floor and theinternal ceiling, and a second chamber substantially between theinternal ceiling and the dome, the internal ceiling having an apertureformed between the first chamber and the second chamber and structuredto allow air to pass therethrough; at least one air inlet disposed inthe first chamber and configured to allow air to travel from outside thebuilding into the first chamber; at least one air moving deviceconfigured to facilitate movement of air from outside the building,through the first and second chambers, and out through the vent of thedome; and an air cooling element disposed substantially at the at leastone air inlet and configured to cool the air as it travels from outsidethe building into the first chamber.
 2. The building of claim 1, whereinthe floor is substantially subterranean.
 3. The building of claim 1,wherein the air cooling element is an earth cooling chamber situatedproximate the at least one air inlet and the first chamber.
 4. Thebuilding of claim 3, wherein the earth cooling chamber comprises asubstantially vertical chamber through which air passes between an inletand an exit.
 5. The building of claim 4, wherein at least one wall ofthe earth cooling chamber is a thermal coupling medium between air inthe earth cooling chamber and ground soil.
 6. The building of claim 4,wherein the earth cooling chamber includes at least two groundsoil-adjacent walls.
 7. The building of claim 6, wherein the earthcooling chamber further comprises a blocking wall disposed between theat least two ground soil-adjacent walls and substantially dividing theearth cooling chamber into an outer sub-chamber and an innersub-chamber.
 8. The building of claim 6, further comprising a pluralityof thermal fins coupled to at least one of the at least two groundsoil-adjacent walls.
 9. The building of claim 1, wherein the air coolingelement comprises an evaporative cooling device.
 10. The building ofclaim 1, wherein the at least one air inlet includes an air filter. 11.The building of claim 1, further comprising a biofilter proximate the atleast one air inlet and structured to perform a biofilter function onair as it travels through the at least one air inlet.
 12. The buildingof claim 1, wherein the at least one air moving device comprises asingle boost fan disposed at the vent of the dome.
 13. The building ofclaim 1, wherein the floor is configured to support at least oneelectronic device that moves air.
 14. The building of claim 13, whereinthe at least one electronic device includes a fan structured to draw airfrom the first chamber.
 15. The building of claim 13, wherein the atleast one electronic device comprises a server.
 16. The building ofclaim 1, wherein a parametric ratio of air flow is at leastsubstantially maintained for the movement of air from outside thebuilding, through the first and second chambers, and out through thevent of the dome.
 17. A structure, comprising: a first air inletconfigured to allow air from outside the building into a first airchamber comprising a substantially subterranean vertical air labyrinth;a cooling mechanism disposed at the first air inlet and configured tocool the air as it travels through the first air inlet; a second airinlet configured to allow the air from the first air chamber into asecond air chamber, wherein the second air chamber is definedsubstantially by a base and an internal ceiling; an aperture within theinternal ceiling configured to allow the air to travel from the secondair chamber into a third air chamber defined substantially by theinternal ceiling and a covering dome; a vent within the dome configuredto allow the air to travel from the third air chamber to outside thebuilding; and an air moving device configured to facilitate movement ofthe air from outside the structure through the first air inlet and outthe vent.
 18. The structure of claim 17, wherein the air moving deviceis a fan.
 19. The structure of claim 17, wherein the base is formed atleast substantially from concrete.
 20. The structure of claim 17,wherein the dome is formed at least substantially from aluminum.